Fix Flat Feethttps://www.fixflatfeet.com
Correcting Flat Feet With ExerciseMon, 19 Mar 2018 06:41:04 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Weekly Progress Update 11https://www.fixflatfeet.com/weekly-progress-update-11/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/weekly-progress-update-11/#respondMon, 13 Feb 2017 17:22:13 +0000https://www.fixflatfeet.com/?p=4405It's been several years since the last progress update so this post has been a long time in the making. At the time I stopped writing weekly updates I had achieved the initial goal I set for increasing the height of my arches and was very happy with the results. I continued working on arch […]

]]>It's been several years since the last progress update so this post has been a long time in the making. At the time I stopped writing weekly updates I had achieved the initial goal I set for increasing the height of my arches and was very happy with the results.

I continued working on arch strengthening exercises after that point to see how much more improvement I could get and also to better control how much my feet pronated, especially with activities like running or squatting.

Because my feet started out extremely flat, the most dramatic results definitely came during the first few months of starting this project. After that, the strength and general appearance of my arches still continued to show improvement, though, as I found new exercises to work on and fine-tuned some of the exercises I had already been doing.

Arch Shape

The difference in the shape of my foot when standing from when I started to now is like night and day. Since the last progress update, the changes are a little more subtle: the curve of the arch seems more uniform and there appears to be better muscle tone on the inside of the foot.

Foot Prints

Even though taking regular footprints was a messy and time-consuming process, I sort of miss the excitement that came along with doing it each week during the project, so I got out the washable paint to make some for this update.

I make these footprints by walking over a sheet of paper so they show where pressure is placed on the underside of my foot. I also used measurements from the footprints to calculate an arch index.

When I started, both feet had an arch index of greater than 1.0 which is typical for flat feet. Now, the arch index is around 0.8. This is even an improvement from the last time I posted a progress update when the index was 0.98 on both sides.

Exercise Routine

I tested out a lot of exercises going through this process of building up my arches. Knowing what I know now, what I consider the core exercises have essentially stayed the same. More details on these can be found on the sample exercise page, but basically, those exercises are:

the short foot exercise for intrinsic foot muscle strength,

calf stretching for ankle dorsiflexion flexibility,

exercises to stabilize the big toe against the ground (e.g. toe yoga), and

strengthening exercises for the calf muscles (e.g. heel raises).

What I've learned, however, is that there are many small details that make a big difference in terms of the effectiveness of those exercises.

For instance, I probably would have seen faster results if I knew the proper steps for progressing the short foot. I started right off the bat trying to do the exercise standing up. It took a while to realize I didn't yet have the foot mobility or ankle flexibility to do the exercise properly and I needed to go back and work on easier variations before moving on to standing.

Another example is with the heel raises that, like the short foot exercise, took me a while to discover the proper form. A couple key elements for targeting the right muscles with heel raises are keeping the big toe stable against the ground and controlling the position of the heel. So doing separate exercises for toe abduction and heel inversion strength helped with developing the proper form needed for the raises.

Fixing Excessive Pronation

In terms of controlling pronation and preventing the arch from lowering when walking or running, the basic exercises certainly helped, especially after progressing to harder variations. But ultimately I needed to spend a lot of time adjusting the way that I walked and working on drills to change my gait mechanics.

I still wear minimalist or barefoot-style shoes the vast majority of the time and think that has made a huge difference. For the last couple of years, my favorite shoes have been the Lems Primal 2. I also still try to spend time barefoot whenever possible.

I don't do foot exercises nearly as often as I used to but many of the exercises from the program I still do fairly regularly as I think they're beneficial in general and not only for flat feet.

New Site Membership Feature

There's been a lot happening with the site behind the scenes. Last year I added a membership option to provide readers access to more detailed exercise routines and tutorials for my program along with a discussion forum.

A lot of time last year was devoted to getting the membership portion of the site up and running smoothly. I'm excited by the feedback I've received so far and plan to continue developing that program, with a focus on expanding the video content over the next several months.

Membership is not currently open to new subscribers but I'll make an announcement when it opens up again.

I also have a few blog posts planned for the near future--specifically regarding footwear, some research updates and information on flat feet-related conditions.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/weekly-progress-update-11/feed/0The Foot Tripodhttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/foot-tripod/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/foot-tripod/#commentsSun, 27 Mar 2016 08:16:39 +0000http://www.fixflatfeet.com/?p=2910The foot tripod concept is a useful way of thinking about how to evenly distribute weight on the foot. The tripod refers to three points of contact that the bottom of the foot makes with the ground. Points of the Foot Tripod The three "legs" of the tripod are the: Center of the calcaneus (heel) […]

]]>The foot tripod concept is a useful way of thinking about how to evenly distribute weight on the foot. The tripod refers to three points of contact that the bottom of the foot makes with the ground.

Points of the Foot Tripod

The three "legs" of the tripod are the:

Center of the calcaneus (heel)

Head of the 5th metatarsal

Head of the 1st metatarsal

A balance between these points gives the foot stability. It's also thought that the arches of the foot function optimally when the tripod position is maintained.

Loss of the Tripod Position

What's often seen in a person with flat feet is that one leg of the tripod--the 1st metatarsal head at the base of the big toe--is not very stable. The result of this is that pressure shifts to the inside edge of the foot, with more weight placed on both the side of the big toe and the inside of the heel.

There are many possible reasons for why the foot takes on a non-optimal position and often multiple issues need to be addressed to restore a strong foot tripod. These might include foot and calf muscles weakness or a varus alignment of the forefoot.

Optimal Foot Contact

Standing with a strong foot tripod position can be tricky for someone just starting out with building arch strength. For someone with flat feet, it's often difficult to feel exactly where the points should be.

One way to go about finding the foot tripod is by first getting into a neutral heel position. Doing this is often enough to "set" the first and second legs of the tripod.

The next step is to lift all the toes up while keeping the ball of the foot on the floor. This allows for a better sense of how much pressure is under the 1st metatarsal head (underside of the big toe joint).

When I was working on this, I found that pressing down into the floor with the base of my big toe while maintaining the neutral heel position was helpful to stabilize that "leg" of the tripod.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/foot-tripod/feed/3Neutral Heel Positionhttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/neutral-heel/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/neutral-heel/#commentsSat, 26 Mar 2016 20:05:51 +0000http://www.fixflatfeet.com/?p=2929People with flat feet often stand with their heels in an outward facing or everted position. This was certainly true in my case and this is evident in the pictures I took at the start of this project. Back then, standing that way felt natural to me. But in order to form an arch, the heel […]

]]>People with flat feet often stand with their heels in an outward facing or everted position. This was certainly true in my case and this is evident in the pictures I took at the start of this project. Back then, standing that way felt natural to me. But in order to form an arch, the heel needed to be in a less everted position.

Heel Alignment

This straight up and down position of the back of the foot is what I refer to as "neutral heel". This is a really important concept because many of the arch building exercises need to be performed while keeping the heel in neutral.

In order to get used to moving my feet into the neutral heel position, I practiced standing with my back to a mirror so that I could see the alignment of my heels. I used my Achilles tendon as a guide and aimed to find the position where the Achilles was running straight up and down. When the heel is everted the Achilles often looks like it's curving outward.

Getting to Neutral

There are several ways to go about finding the neutral position. For me, the easiest was to shift or roll weight towards the outside edges of the feet.

Eventually, I was able to sense when I was in the neutral position without needing to check with the mirror.

Heel eversion and the opposite motion--inversion--are normal movements involving the subtalar joint inside the foot. These movements allow the foot to adapt to uneven surfaces and provide shock absorption.

People with flexible flat feet often have difficulty controlling the movement of the subtalar joint. This can result in the foot rolling in and the heel everting when weight is placed on the leg.

One of the surgical procedures tor treating flat feet is an implant that blocks motion of this joint that prevents the heel from everting. The approach I used to build arches involved strengthening the muscles and supporting structures around the joint to retrain the body to hold the neutral heel as the new normal position of the foot.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/neutral-heel/feed/1Flat Feet: What Doctors Knew 100 Years Agohttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/flat-feet-what-doctors-knew-100-years-ago/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/flat-feet-what-doctors-knew-100-years-ago/#commentsMon, 02 Sep 2013 05:18:55 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2512The following quotes are excerpts from the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery in 1913. The prominent physicians of that era seemed to understand that our shoes and modern lifestyle were causing the problems associated with flat feet. They also understood the best treatment for flat feet was exercise, not arch supports. Dr. H Augustus Wilson, […]

]]>The following quotes are excerpts from the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery in 1913. The prominent physicians of that era seemed to understand that our shoes and modern lifestyle were causing the problems associated with flat feet. They also understood the best treatment for flat feet was exercise, not arch supports.

Dr. H Augustus Wilson, Philadelphia--

The Japanese have been held up to us as the nearest approach to the natural in their feet, and these also are capable feet. These people walk without heels, and the result is that the flexors are strong and powerful. They walk with their toes in, and have foot capability beyond conception.

My difficulty has been to know when to take out supports that have been put in by others, so as to have the patients get a natural foot. I took out plates from the shoes of one patient who had worn them constantly for fourteen years. She complained of weak knees, and I found that her calves were atrophied from disuse of the strong muscles of the leg and her pain had migrated to the position in the upper ambulatory apparatus. What we are after, I think, is not the physical resemblance of a foot, but a physiological action.

Dr. Royal Whitman, New York City--

Flat-foot is an acquired weakness and is understood to be preventable and curable.

Dr. Philip Hoffman, St. Louis--

The third aid in the treatment of feet is muscular exercise, which is intended to stretch the peroneal group of muscles and to strengthen the muscles and ligaments, so that they will function properly when the weight is put on the foot.

Therefore our whole aim is to cure the foot by strengthening the muscles.

Dr. John Ridlon, Chicago--

The number of cases of flat-foot that we are treating, and the many times that number that are wearing foot-plates bought in shoe stores, is appalling. A good deal more than half the adult population of the country are being treated for flat foot. Now is it a fact that flat-foot has increased to such an enormous extent? If it has, there is something decidedly wrong. I do not know whether there is something wrong or not, but there is one thing that has been done in the past two years that may or may not account for it, which was not done before. The orthopedic profession have turned the shoemakers and manufacturers to making crooked shoes, with the front turned around into adduction. I suspect that it is that crooked shoe which has been the cause of all the enormous increase in flat-foot.

Dr. Arnold, New Haven--

I believe that the increase in flat-foot was noted before the crooked shoe came in, but there has been a change in our life that is much deeper-going than the crooked shoe. Within the experience of all of us, the American sidewalk has changed from a soft to a hard one. In a soft walk the foot shapes the ground, but on an unyielding one the sidewalk shapes the foot. Therefore, the type of foot of the savage can no longer be considered as a type of foot that will sustain us without pain under modern conditions. You will find that the Indian, the colored man, or the Japanese will go to pieces on our sidewalks and contract flat-foot; or if he had it before, it will suddenly become more painful. If you take an unyielding flat-foot or one with now symptoms of pain and have its possessor walk on soft pavements, you will find that just as soon as he commences to impress his foot on the ground and shape the ground to suit his foot, he will have a flat-foot that is without pain. Walking on hard ground is one of the etiological factors in flat-foot. I do not say that it is the only etiological factor, but it is one that goes rather far in explaining the great increase in the condition. The front part of the foot with its small muscles, mainly for maintaining equilibrium, is put out of commission by walking on streets on which it cannot make an impression. The person loses function in the muscles of the foot; they weaken, and the foot becomes flat. The question as to how far any plate will cure flat-foot in these conditions is answered by the conditions under which one is going to make use of the foot. I do not think that any foot will be cured unless it adapts itself to the new shape of the pavement. People ought to be born with rubber-tired wheels under them. Children are relieved of all pain, if you put that theory into practice and recommend them, as I do, to use roller-skates instead of walking. As soon as they do so, the symptoms disappear.

Dr. Arthur H. Cilley, New York City--

If one man can make a proper cast and has a mechanic who is able to follow the cast, he will have a plate that will cure, if the patient will use it properly. If the patient uses it as a support, he will get worse; it makes no difference what plate is used. The trouble is the lack of balance, the lack of use of the intrinsic foot muscles of the foot. If the patients will use the muscles, they will get well.

My Notes:

Over a century ago, at the time these quotes were written, arch supports and orthotic devices were becoming more common. They were intended, however, only for short-term use, to supplement a stretching and strengthening program intended to permanently cure flat feet. The aggressive, and often misleading, marketing of orthotics and corrective footwear contributed to their widespread use in the first several decades of the 1900's. Today, orthotics are a multi-billion dollar industry. This is not including sales of supportive footwear which make up a good portion of the 20 billion dollar running shoe market. Yet hardly ever is there mention of how exercises can treat foot problems. What happened?

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/flat-feet-what-doctors-knew-100-years-ago/feed/5The Difference Between Flat Feet and Overpronationhttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/the-difference-between-flat-feet-and-overpronation/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/the-difference-between-flat-feet-and-overpronation/#commentsWed, 10 Jul 2013 05:13:43 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2448One question I get asked frequently is the difference between a person with flat feet and someone who overpronates, so I thought this would be a good topic to cover briefly. Flat feet and overpronation often occur together but they are actually two different conditions. A flat foot refers to a static (non-moving) position of […]

]]>One question I get asked frequently is the difference between a person with flat feet and someone who overpronates, so I thought this would be a good topic to cover briefly. Flat feet and overpronation often occur together but they are actually two different conditions.

A flat foot refers to a static (non-moving) position of the arch. If you look a person's foot while they stand and see the entire inside of their foot is touching the ground then that person has a flat foot.

From a photograph you can tell if a person has flat feet, but you can't tell if they overpronate.

Overpronation refers to a movement of the foot. Pronation is the inward roll of the foot and lowering of the arch when weight is put on the foot. Almost everyone pronates to some degree when they walk or run. Pronation is part of the body's shock absorption system.

The "over" part means that the foot is pronating more than what is considered normal. This is a somewhat vague concept because there is no good measure of how much pronation or movement of the arch is optimal. The reason overpronation is considered a problem is because it affects the timing and direction of forces going through the leg. It's thought that excessive pronation may place a person at an increased risk for injury.

The pictures below are taken from a video I made of my walking at the start of this project. You can see that when I'm landing on the left foot the heel is, for the most part, lined up straight in a neutral position. When all my weight is on the leg at midstance you can see how much the foot pronated.

The heel moved out to an everted position and the foot bones can be seen collapsing to the inside of the foot.

Most people with flat feet have flexible flat feet. This means they have an arch in their foot when their foot is off the ground, or they can form an arch in their foot, but the arch collapses when standing. Flexible flat feet and overpronation are closely related.

So when I talk about correcting flat feet, I'm usually referring to both:

increasing the height of the arch in standing and

controlling the amount of pronation with walking or running

A person can have both flat feet and overpronation, or either condition on its own.

For example, it's possible for someone to have a normal sized arch in their foot when they stand but then overpronate when they put more force through their foot during activities like running or jumping. People in this category would likely benefit from many of the same exercises used for arch strengthening to lessen their pronation.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/the-difference-between-flat-feet-and-overpronation/feed/5Weight Loss and Flat Feethttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/weight-loss-and-flat-feet/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/weight-loss-and-flat-feet/#commentsSun, 07 Jul 2013 19:45:25 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2326The presence of a lower arch has been reportedly associated with increased body weight or BMI. Of all the possible factors that contribute to flat feet, body weight may be one of the most difficult to control. In this post I want to address the effect being overweight has on the arch of the foot. […]

]]>The presence of a lower arch has been reportedly associated with increased body weight or BMI. Of all the possible factors that contribute to flat feet, body weight may be one of the most difficult to control. In this post I want to address the effect being overweight has on the arch of the foot. I don't think being overweight always causes excessive pronation or flat feet, but it does factor into the stresses on the foot that ultimately can make it more difficult to maintain an arch.

The Arch Shape

First, let's think of the arch of the foot as a bridge. The basic structure of the foot is formed by the shapes of the bones. The bones connect together is a way that allows them to provide a strong foundation for supporting the forces coming down from above. The arch shape allows forces to be evenly distributed through the foot while also allow tendons, nerves, and blood vessels to pass on the underside of the foot.

The basic structure of our foot "bridge" is reinforced by the ligaments and connective tissue that tie the bones together. These ligaments provide resistance to the bones separating.

The bones and ligaments by themselves only form the basic structure or shape of the arch. We need our feet to be both strong and flexible. We need the arch to be rigid at times to support us, but we also want the foot to be able to move and adapt to different surfaces and provide shock absorption. This is where muscles factor in.

There are many muscles in the foot and around the ankle that work to both hold the arch in the foot when we are standing and to raise and lower the arch as we move.

The muscles that connect in and around the arch have the ability to lock and unlock the bridge. When we want the foot to be a rigid lever to push-off from the muscles work to hold the arch up--locking together the bones of the foot. When we land on our foot we want shock absorption so our muscles allow the bridge to flex to lessen the impact.

Effect Being Overweight Has On The Arch

The direct way being overweight affects the arch is clear. The more weight we carry, the harder the arch needs to work to hold its shape. The ligaments and muscles holding the shape of the arch need to be strong enough to withstand the forces coming down through the leg.

Another possible way being overweight contributes to flat feet is that when a person is overweight, often times they carry that excess weight in the front of their body--in the stomach area. This can create an imbalance in weight distribution. To avoid tipping over forward, the body makes a number of adjustments in the way we stand in response to the extra weight.

These changes can be similar to what happens when a person has an anterior pelvic tilt. Basically, the pelvic tilts forward which then causes the leg to rotate inward. This inward rotation of the lower leg may then put more pressure on the arch to collapse. Extra weight often leads to walking with a wider stance with their feet angled out. This position also reduces the ability of the arch to maintain its shape.

The Takeaway

There is evidence to suggest body weight is one of the factors that contributes to the height of the arch.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/weight-loss-and-flat-feet/feed/1Influence of Shoes on Flat Feet and Overpronationhttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/how-shoes-cause-flat-feet-and-overpronation/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/how-shoes-cause-flat-feet-and-overpronation/#commentsWed, 03 Jul 2013 23:45:04 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2414A flat foot is normal in infants and toddlers. During early childhood, most people develop an arch. However, some people never develop arches. It's estimated that about 20% of adults have flat feet. Overpronation is a term used to describe the inward collapse of the foot when a person walks or runs, and is closely […]

]]>A flat foot is normal in infants and toddlers. During early childhood, most people develop an arch. However, some people never develop arches. It's estimated that about 20% of adults have flat feet.

Overpronation is a term used to describe the inward collapse of the foot when a person walks or runs, and is closely related to a flexible flat foot deformity. The exact cause of flat feet and overpronation is not clear, but there is evidence that shoes may contribute to the problem.

Early Shoe Wear Contributes To Flat Feet

Research published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery examined the influence footwear had on the development of arches in school-age children. The study found that kids who wore shoes were three times more likely to have flat feet than those who went shoe-less. The researchers note:

Our cross-sectional study suggests that shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal or a high medial longitudinal arch.

Footwear Influence on Foot Shape and Function

In a similar study looking at the influence habitual shoe wear had on the shape and biomechanics of the foot it was shown that people who spent most of their lives barefoot had significantly wider feet, and more evenly distributed pressure on their foot when they walked, than those who habitually wore shoes. The researchers in this study suggested that frequent barefoot walking enables the foot to achieve its biologically normal shape and function.

Making the Connection Between Flat Feet and Shoes

These studies suggest that when a person wears shoes for most of their life the shape and function of their feet is altered.

Wearing shoes is so common in Westernized society that most studies looking at "normal" foot function are really studying feet that have been changed in some way by footwear. This makes it difficult to establish a strong connection between shoes and foot shape and function, and may be one reason why more attention is not given to the negative influence shoes have on our feet.

The recent interest in the benefits of barefoot running has started to draw attention to this issue. "Barefoot" or minimalist style shoes can be seen as a sort of rebellion against the traditional way shoes have been designed.

Effects of Traditional Footwear

There are several ways shoes can alter the way feet function:

Flat Surface

The foot is a highly flexible structure. This flexibility allows the foot to conform to uneven surfaces when walking barefoot. Shoes can act like a rigid, unchanging platform for the foot. When in a shoe the foot may not have to flex or bend much to adapt to the surface you're walking on. This can potentially weaken the muscles on the underside of the foot and the stabilizing muscles around the ankle.

Compressed Toebox

Many shoes are designed with bullet-shaped toebox, or a tapering of the width of the shoe towards the toes. This shape can prevent the toes from spreading apart. I've written before about the importance of the big toe splaying out in order to prevent the arch from collapsing. A shoe with a very narrow toe box keeps the toes held together.

Arch Support

Built-in arch supports are designed to control motion of the foot or hold the foot in a fixed position. This can potentially alter the activity of foot's own arch supporting muscles.

Elevated Heel

Most traditional shoes, including athletic and dress shoes, have a raised heel. This places the foot in a plantarflexed (pointed down) position. Over time this can cause a loss of flexibility in the calf muscles or a decrease in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. The collapse of the arch is one way the body can compensate for a lack of motion in the ankle.

Toe Spring

Almost all shoes have a toe spring or a curving up of the front of the shoes. This is necessary, in part, because shoes with rigid soles can not bend in the same way as the foot. The toe spring allows for a rocking motion of the shoe to make up for this. The toe spring can hold the toes in an extended position, meaning that while standing, and during the majority of walking, the toes are not in contact with the ground. Walking in a shoe with your toes held elevated off the ground is very different from how your toes would function when walking barefoot.

Heel Counter

Many shoes are reinforced at the back to control the motion of the heel inside the shoe. Again, holding a part of the foot in a fixed position is a change from the way the foot would function barefoot.

Decreased Sensation

Like the palm of the hand, the bottom of the foot has many sensory nerve endings that function to provide information to the brain about the position of the body, and form a connection between the brain and the surface you are standing or walking on. When walking barefoot across a rough surface, like a gravel driveway, and you will see these sensory receptors in action. You naturally alter the placement and pressure of your foot to adapt to the type of surface you are on. The sole of a shoe, while offering protection, can also decrease the need for this feedback loop and muscle activity.

Effect on Arch Strength

Now, before you throw away all your shoes I should mention that if shoes are probably not the only cause of flat feet and overpronation. In fact, many people have excessively high arches even though they regularly wear shoes. Wearing shoes is likely not the only reason why people don't develop a normal arch or excessively pronate. Genetics and other environmental factors likely play a role.

The fact remains though that shoes alter the functioning of the foot and arch. Speaking from personal experience, I feel the strength of my foot improved once I started to spend more time barefoot. One of the activities I started doing to strengthen my arches was running barefoot along the sand at the beach. I also bought minimalist style running shoes with very thin, flexible soles, a wide toe box, and very little support to try to increase the amount of work the muscles in my foot and ankle had to do when I walked or ran.

Minimizing the Effect of Footwear

The structure and muscular configuration of the foot make it well adapted to walking without support on a variety of surfaces. Modern life tends to limit the amount of time most of us spend going barefoot. Footwear can serve a purpose in terms of protecting our feet, but there are also a lot of potential benefits from spending time barefoot, allowing the foot to function in the way it is built and adapted to work. For situations when barefoot is not an option, I prefer shoes that are as minimal and "barefoot-like" as possible.

References

Rao UB, Joseph B. The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot. A survey of 2300 children. Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, British Volume. 1992 Jul 1;74(4):525-7.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/how-shoes-cause-flat-feet-and-overpronation/feed/13Toe Lifting Exercise for Flat Feethttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/toe-lifting-exercise-for-flat-feet/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/toe-lifting-exercise-for-flat-feet/#commentsSat, 29 Jun 2013 06:37:14 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2395The small muscles on the underside of the foot play a big role in supporting the arch. The muscles that control the movement of the big toe are especially important. People with flat feet or people who overpronate often have difficulty moving the big toe separately from the other toes. Think of the big toe […]

]]>The small muscles on the underside of the foot play a big role in supporting the arch. The muscles that control the movement of the big toe are especially important. People with flat feet or people who overpronate often have difficulty moving the big toe separately from the other toes.

Think of the big toe as the thumb of the foot. It isn't shaped like the other toes because it has a special function. Along with the heel the big toe helps to hold up the bridge underneath the foot.

The arch can lose its support and collapses when the big toe end of the bridge is weak.

One of the exercises I found helpful for strengthening the muscles on the inside of the arch is toe lifting, or what I like to call Toe Yoga.

Toe Yoga

Start with your foot flat on the floor

Try to lift your big toe into the air while keeping the other toes down

Then switch and try to lift your other four toes while keeping the big toe pressed down

Keep alternating back and forth until the muscles on the inside of your arch start to feel fatigued

Purpose of Toe Lifting

This exercise helps train the muscles attached to the big toe to work independently of the other muscles in the foot. When these muscles are weak it's very difficult to do opposite motions with the big toe and the rest of the toes.

When I first started my foot would cramp while doing these toe lifts. That's how I knew it was targeting the right spots. After a few weeks it got a lot easier to move the toes independently. I also find it helpful to focus on holding an arch in the foot while doing this exercise.

This is an exercise that took me awhile to do properly, and I still do it regularly. It's one of the exercises listed in the basic program because I think toe dexterity is important for maintaining healthy feet.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/toe-lifting-exercise-for-flat-feet/feed/9Site Update In The Workshttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/site-update-in-the-works/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/site-update-in-the-works/#respondMon, 17 Jun 2013 05:20:34 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2390This is just a brief post to keep everyone up-to-date with what's happening here on Fix Flat Feet. I'm in the process of expanding and adding new content to this site. Several readers have sent me great suggestions about what they want to see added so I've been working on getting all that information online. […]

]]>This is just a brief post to keep everyone up-to-date with what's happening here on Fix Flat Feet. I'm in the process of expanding and adding new content to this site. Several readers have sent me great suggestions about what they want to see added so I've been working on getting all that information online.

Tonight I did some site maintenance and I added forefoot varus as new page to the Components of Flat Feet menu located on the sidebar. On the forefoot varus page you'll find a video of one of the exercises I've developed for arch strengthening.

I also added a video I shot last year on how to mobilize the ankle to treat flat feet on the Ankle Dorsiflexion page. That video has demonstrations for several exercises for arch strengthening and improving ankle mobility.

The quality of the videos is not as great as I'd like. The camera I was using last year when I filmed them couldn't record in High Def. I now have a newer camera that shoots great video so as soon as I learn how to work it I'll get a lot more exercise videos posted.

As always, if anyone has any requests for topics they want covered or content they would like to see feel free to email me.

]]>https://www.fixflatfeet.com/site-update-in-the-works/feed/0Running Causes Increased Pronation: New Researchhttps://www.fixflatfeet.com/running-causes-increased-pronation-new-research/
https://www.fixflatfeet.com/running-causes-increased-pronation-new-research/#commentsTue, 28 May 2013 09:02:39 +0000http://fixflatfeet.com/?p=2356A new study published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research found that arch height decreased in runners after running a half marathon. The study measured the navicular height of runners before and after a half marathon race. After the race, runners' arches were 5 mm lower than they were at the start. […]

]]>A new study published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research found that arch height decreased in runners after running a half marathon. The study measured the navicular height of runners before and after a half marathon race. After the race, runners' arches were 5 mm lower than they were at the start.

The authors of the study were not exactly sure what cause the change in arch height. They speculated that it may be a combination of muscle fatigue and repeated stretching of the ligaments that support the arch. The study did not measure how long it took after running for the runners' arches to return to their pre-race height.

Navicular height is common way to measure the size of the arch. So basically this study showed that after running a long distance the arches in our feet tend to flatten out. There a couple of things I find interesting about this study.

First this study illustrates the potential of the arch to change shape. Now, the flattening may have been from stretching of the connective tissue holding the bones of the foot together, fatigue in the muscles that support the arch, or some combination of both factors. If it is indeed muscular fatigue causing these changes, then it makes sense that strengthening the muscles that control pronation could produce positive changes in the height of the arch.

These findings may also shed light on the mechanism of some running injuries. The amount a runner pronates may increase during a long run which would then likely result in a change in their running form. These changes could subject the runner's body to different stresses and increase their injury risk. Assessing a runner's form in a non-fatigued state may not be a good indicator of what happens over the course of a run.

This is one of the difficulties in predicting a runner's risk of injury. Most injury risk studies don't evaluate a runners's mechanics after a run. This study shows that we can't assume a runner will be running with the same form throughout the duration of a long run.

For runners I think the important message here is to be careful training past the point of fatigue. For people with flat feet and pronation problems this study should be encouragement to start strengthening those arch supporting muscles.